Chapter Four: A Friendly Chat
Finn sat at his desk waiting for someone to pick up. He wished someone in that damn house would answer the phone.
On what seemed like the seventh ring, a breathless voice picked up. "Hello?"
"Hi, who's this?" Finn, familiar with almost everyone who might be answering on the other end was surprised to hear a voice he did not recognize.
"This is Stephanie's sister, Eliza."
"Splendid, then I'll assume you know where Colin is?"
"He's upstairs with my sister, doing God knows what."
"Oh," he said slowly. He was surprised Colin and Steph were still going at it with her being 6 months pregnant and all. "Do you know when they'll be...uh, finished?"
"Well, I'm not sure, but I'll have him call you when they come down. Who can I tell him called"
"Tell him Finn called about...you know what just tell him to call me back as soon as he can."
"Oh, so you're Finn."
"I take it my reputation proceeds me?" He had no idea how Stephanie's sister could know that much about him.
"Well, lets just say, I had many a phone call from Steph complaining about that 'little' stint you stayed here for."
"Ahh," he replied knowingly. The 'little' stint she referred to actually lasted four months until he felt confident enough to live by himself again. "Well, if you could give him the message, that would be great, thanks."
Without waiting for a reply, he hung up, feeling slightly embarrassed that someone other that Colin and Stephanie knew just how vulnerable he was during his time after rehab. He looked to his computer and started a game of solitaire while he waited for Colin to call him back.
An hour, and about 17 failed games later, he picked up the phone after the first ring.
"Man Colin, you sure know how to keep a guy in suspense."
"Well Finn, I knew it was you, and that you were probably waiting by the phone, point proven by the way by your immediate answering, try not to seem so desperate next time, its a real turn off."
"And you would know all about turn offs now wouldn't you?"
"Back to my point, since I knew all about your desperateness, I decided to make you wait."
"You sure you just didn't want to stay in bed with Stephanie? By the way, I wanted to commend you on your studliness. I don't think even I could get my wife to have sex with me while five months pregnant with our third child."
"What can I say, it's a gift. So, why did you feel the need to call me on a Friday morning at 9:30, on a day which you knew I was taking off."
"What? Can't a guy call another guy for a friendly chat?" He asked innocently.
"In today's society? Not really. So seriously, what's the motivation?"
"Well, you'll never guess who I ran into last night after one of my meetings"
"Who?"
"Guess"
"You just said I'd never guess, so why would I attempt to do something seemingly impossible"
"You're seemingly impossible. Okay, I'll give you a hint. We knew her in college."
"We knew a lot of hers in college, you'll have to be more specific than that."
"Fine, Logan knew her very well."
"Again, he knew a lot of people very well. Almost as many as you."
"Not like he knew this girl."
"Oh, duh, you mean Rory. That should have been obvious when you started to make me guess."
"Damn, you ruined my fun, I was gonna make you keep guessing until I unveiled the shocking truth."
"That's actually not that shocking Finn."
He made a confused face, although Colin couldn't see it. "How so, she's not the most obvious person for me to run into after an AA meeting."
"Well, just given those circumstances, no. But you're living in Boston now, and Rory's living in Boston now."
"Wait, how'd you know Rory was in Boston?" He was shocked at this new information.
"Well, Einstein, if you'll recall, Rory and Stephanie became friends during their Senior years. You know, when Steph was left all alone after we graduated."
"She was hardly all alone."
"Not the point I was making Finn. Anyway, she and Rory had a class together and have since kept up with each other. Sometimes they even meet up for shopping trips in the city when Rory's in town visiting her mom."
"Glad to know I'm in the loop."
"In the loop? Since when have you cared about being in the loop about all of Logan's other exes?"
"Never, but the only one I was ever even friendly with was Rory. Besides, it seems like I would have at least heard a little about this when I was staying with you guys."
"Actually, I'm surprised you didn't but back to the story at hand, you ran into Rory."
"Yeah, she was at a library, imagine that. So we chatted a little, and then she asked me for coffee, so we got coffee."
"Interesting, and what did you talk about over coffee?"
"Oh you know, reminisced about old times. Did you know Paris made a man leave the priesthood?"
"I think I heard that somewhere, yes."
"Well, we exchanged numbers and I'm taking her to lunch today."
"Really? I never knew you had a thing for reporter girl."
"I didn't, I don't! Is it such a crime for a man to take out an old college pal in a completely platonic sense?"
"For most people, no, but you...I don't think I've ever known you to do anything involving the opposite gender in the completely platonic sense. Drunk or sober."
"Well I assure you, this is completely platonic. I mean, I don't even know what her relationship status is," he paused for a comment from Colin.
"AHA! That's the reason you called! I feel so used!"
"Well, it wasn't the reason I called, after all, I didn't even know you were still in contact with her, but, now that you mention it."
"I'm not going to tell you. I think it would be much more amusing for you to ask Rory yourself."
"What do you care if it's amusing, you won't be there to hear it."
"Yes, but Rory will, and Rory will at some point tell Stephanie, and then Stephanie will tell me and I'll have a good laugh about it."
"Et tu, Brute? I never thought you'd turn your back on me for your own amusement."
"Nonsense, I've done it millions of times before, what's to stop me now?"
"Okay, as much fun as this has been, I need to get off the phone. Can you just do me a favor Colin?"
"I'm not coming over to wax your back again Finn."
"Haha," he said dryly. "But seriously. Could you not mention this to Logan? At least not yet. I don't want him mad at me again over something stupid."
"See, I knew it wasn't platonic."
"Goodbye Colin," and again without waiting for a reply, hung up the phone ad sat back in his chair.